The Pleistocene of North America / and its vertebrated animals from the states east of the Mississippi River and from the Canadian provinces east of longitude 95°

by Oliver Perry Hay

INDIANA.

(Map [25].)

1. Wailesboro, Bartholomew County.—In the American Museum of Natural History, New York, is a portion of a skull of a musk-ox which the writer identifies as Symbos cavifrons. It is labeled as found along the East Fork of White River, in 1904, near Wailesboro, Bartholomew County, Indiana. This locality is about 45 miles east of south of Indianapolis. The skull is reported to have been washed out of a bank composed of alluvium which overlies from 10 to 20 feet of glacial gravel. It is also said that out of the same gravel a tooth of Elephas primigenius had been secured. It seems to be implied that the musk-ox skull came from the gravel; but the record is not clear. It was presented to the museum in New York by Dr. J. J. Edwards, of Columbus, Indiana. He is said to have been interested to some extent in collecting palæontological materials. It is likely that he depended on others for his knowledge of the origin of the skull.

The specimen presents the brain-case to the rear of the orbits, including the basioccipital bone and the bases of the horn-cores. It has been rolled somewhat and many ridges and processes have been eroded off. Measurements were given by the writer in his paper on the “Pleistocene Period in Indiana and its Vertebrata” (Geol. Surv. Indiana, vol. XXXVI, pp. 638–639). Dr. J. A. Allen (Mem. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., vol. I, p. 201) has examined this skull and concluded that it is not specifically determinable, but the writer, after re-examining the specimen, sees no reason for changing his original conclusion.

This skull was found within the area of Illinoian drift; but the border of the Wisconsin forms the high ground just east of the river. According to Leverett’s glacial map of Indiana (Monogr. LII, U. S. Geol. Surv., plate VI), the valley of the river is filled with sands and gravels resulting from glacial drainage, and this came mostly, if not all, from the Wisconsin ice. Most probably the animal which possessed this skull lived there at some time when the Wisconsin glacial ice was not far away.

2. Richmond, Wayne County.—In the collection at Earlham College, Richmond, Indiana, is the brain-case of a skull identified as that of Ovibos moschatus. This fragment was described and figured by the writer in 1912 (Geol. Surv. Indiana, vol. XXXVI, p. 641, plate IX, fig. 2). The skull was unearthed by some workmen in the vicinity of Richmond and put into the hands of Professor D. W. Dennis, who loaned it to the writer. It is referred to Ovibos moschatus, the species now existing in the Arctic region of North America. Possibly if we had more complete remains specific differences might be found.

This animal probably lived in the region about Richmond at a time when the Wisconsin moraine was yet lingering in Indiana and when the climate was yet severe.

3. Randolph County.—In the collection belonging to Earlham College is the rear portion of the skull of a musk-ox, identified as belonging to Symbos cavifrons. At what place in Randolph County it was found is not known. It had been somewhat eroded and injured. Measurements approximately correct were given by the writer in 1912 (Geol. Surv. Indiana, vol. XXXVI, p. 638). We may suppose that the animal lived in that region at some time during the last half of the Wisconsin stage.

4. Beaver Lake, Newton County.—In 1870, F. H. Bradley (Geol. Surv. Illinois, vol. IV, p. 229), reported that upon the bottom of Beaver Lake, just east of the State line, since the lake had been partially drained, skeletons of Mastodon and Boötherium had been found by Dr. H. M. Keyzer, of Momence, Illinois, and others. Unfortunately, we do not know what became of these valuable materials. Probably the “Boötherium” was the animal now known as Symbos cavifrons, inasmuch as it is far more abundant than any other species of musk-ox. If any parts of the skeleton of this musk-ox were really found the loss is great, inasmuch as very few bones have ever been discovered.

The time when the mastodon and the musk-ox lived about Beaver Lake must have been after the withdrawal of the Wisconsin glacial sheet beyond that region. For remarks on this locality see page [96]. The name Beaver Lake has disappeared from the maps, but it was in township 30 north, range 9 west.

5. Hebron, Porter County.—In the American Museum of Natural History is a nearly complete skull of the musk-ox known as Symbos cavifrons, collected about 6 miles east of Hebron. It was found by workmen while making excavations for a railroad bridge. The exact location is given as section 16, township 33 north, range 6 west, in the marshy lands just north of Kankakee River. The depth was about 7 feet and the deposit was described as a mixture of sand and clay. Doubtless the animal died near the spot where its skull was found, inasmuch as this had undergone little injury.

This skull was described and figured by the writer in 1912 (Geol. Surv. Indiana, vol. XXXVI, pp. 635–638, figs. 49, 50) and in 1914 (Iowa Geol. Surv., vol. XXIII, pp. 299–302, figs. 98, 99); also by Dr. J. A. Allen (Mem. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., vol. I, p. 214, plates XVII, XVIII).

On Leverett’s glacial map of Indiana this region is represented as being occupied by sand and gravel deposits resulting from glacial drainage. The musk-ox must have lived after the foot of the glacier had withdrawn nearly to the end of Lake Michigan.